


Using the Bathroom in Outer Space

by sephcounttheways



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII
Genre: F/F, F/M, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-07
Updated: 2019-08-07
Packaged: 2020-08-11 16:36:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,124
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20156701
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sephcounttheways/pseuds/sephcounttheways
Summary: Angeal and Zack are forced to go to freakin' outer space with Cid on Shin-Ra's first manned shuttle launch.





	Using the Bathroom in Outer Space

**Author's Note:**

  * For [tyrannosaurus_rose](https://archiveofourown.org/users/tyrannosaurus_rose/gifts).

“How long can you hold your breath?” Zack asked as the airship took off. 

Angeal stared at the ground as cars, people, and buildings grew smaller and farther away. His view was blocked by the sudden passage of a cloud, and he turned towards the question, “I dunno.”

“Guess.”

“Ten minutes, maybe. Uncomfortably, though.”

“So if we're in orbit... and the ship gets a crack in it and it all falls apart or something, would you be able to save anyone? Would you be able to fall back to Earth? What would you do?”

“Hold my breath for ten minutes while you die.”

“I can hold my breath for like four minutes,” Zack offered. 

They found out the previous evening that the two of them had been chosen to accompany Shin-Ra's first ever manned space mission. They weren't really going far away from the planet or anything, but it did involve a launch, a week of gathering information while in orbit, and then a return plummet back to Earth. 

The mission was leaving this morning. They'd been given ten hours to digest the news that they were about to be astronauts. 

Angeal was dumbfounded, “We have no space training, and there is absolutely nothing we can offer this mission on an intellectual level. This makes no sense, Lazard. Is this a suicide mission or something?”

“We have spent billions of gil sending satellites and rockets up and retrieving them without incident. We have spent years running every test and simulation, and can assure you that this is safe. And you do have plenty to offer this mission, Angeal. You are our best and brightest First Class SOLDIER,” Lazard had assured him, as if this modest compliment should have been enough to convince him to go into orbit without a complaint. 

“What about me?” Zack asked. “How come you want to send a Third Class and not another First?”

Lazard glanced at Sephiroth and Genesis, who were sitting in on this meeting, “You're... going because...”

“You're getting a promotion,” Sephiroth finally said. 

Zack gasped, “I AM?”

Genesis was laughing into his hand, “Third and a half Class.”

Sephiroth spoke over him, “Second Class.”

“REALLY?” Zack went onto his feet and began to circle the room. “Are you serious?”

Lazard's face was grim, “Are you serious?”

“You'll have a lot to tell us about what zero gravity can offer training, use of magic...” Sephiroth trailed off and glanced at Genesis. 

Genesis tried to finish his sentence, “... How to use the bathroom?”

Zack was walking fast laps around the conference table, “I won't let you down! I'll try everything! I'll report every detail!” 

“I cannot believe you two,” Angeal griped.

“We formed an alliance!” Genesis was proud to announce. 

“An alliance, huh? Let's see how long that lasts.”

“I'm a very patient man when it comes to revenge...” Sephiroth folded his hands below his chin, “Think back... way back... to when I was a Third Class rookie and you stationed me at the Northern Crater. For a year.”

Angeal's face slowly fell with realization, “... That was like seven years ago, Seph. And I didn't station you there personally, it was your whole troop! I didn't even know you then!”

“I froze my nuts off for an entire year...” He smiled sweetly, “Good thing revenge is a dish best served cold.”

Angeal was reeling, “Oh my GOD you're petty! If anyone should be going to space it's you, you've got alien DNA! You'd probably like being in orbit!”

“I'll just have to live with the loss of never knowing,” Sephiroth grinned. “But seriously, this weekend is Cloud's birthday. I'm not missing it again this year because I'm in fucking space.”

“That's probably the only reason he wouldn't kill you for,” Zack dropped back into his seat, slightly winded. “But I'm sad I have to miss the party now...”

“I think he'd rather I be there than you, but only by a very marginal amount.”

“Can I leave my present with you? It was just gonna be shots, though.” 

“We'll do a round in your honor, since you're gonna be dead in space,” Sephiroth promised, taking a crumpled wad of cash from Zack. “I'll make sure it's the most perverted named shot they have.”

“It's what I would have wanted,” Zack said wistfully. 

“What about you?” Angeal asked Genesis. “What'd I do to piss you off?”

Genesis glanced up from his phone, “Oh, I'm not after revenge. I just like the intrigue of being in an alliance.”

“I'm gonna get you both for this.”

“The alliance has spoken,” Genesis concluded judicially with a slap to the table. “And I have theatre tickets next week. We've been waiting a year for these seats, can't miss it.”

“You're sending me on a suicide mission because of a decision I made seven years ago? And it's your stupid boyfriend's birthday? And this loser has to go to yet another off broadway production of fucking Loveless?”

Sephiroth and Genesis shared a long look. Genesis shrugged, “Those are like three really solid reasons.”

“Angeal,” Lazard sighed as he sat back down. He'd been fixing a new cup of coffee – these First Class divas were exhausting, “This is absolutely not a suicide mission. It's only nine days, you'll be in perfectly capable hands with the space travel team, and if I may say so, this is an historic honor.”

“Why don't you go, then?” Angeal asked. 

“I'm going to see Loveless with Genesis.”

“Lazard!”

“We've been waiting a year for these seats. And I got the news the President wanted some SOLDIERs on this mission about an hour before you arrived for this meeting. I know it's last minute, I know you don't have any training for this, I know. But it's the President's order, and it's probably the safest mission I've ever given you. There's going to be longer space missions in the future, and if they want a SOLDIER on those, the alliance here will have to decide among themselves who gets the next one. You and Zack just get the honor of being guinea pigs.” 

Angeal exhaled and tried to relax his tense jaw, “... Okay.”

“This alliance is hereby dissolved,” Genesis announced. 

“Here, here,” Sephiroth agreed and stood up to get some coffee for himself. “And I'll even volunteer for the next space mission. Can I bring Cloud?”

“I don't care,” Lazard sighed. “You can't promote him, though.”

“I can't promote Zack either, but I just did,” Sephiroth laughed. 

Zack let out a boom of disappointment, “Really?”

“I'll promote you Zack,” Lazard assured him. “If for nothing else, on the merit of bravery. You're taking this assignment pretty well.”

“It's gonna be amazing! We're doing something nobody's ever done before... I took a field trip out to the Cosmo Canyon Observatory when I was a kid in school, and there was this huge exhibit about the space exploration program and I always hoped it'd happen in my lifetime... and I actually get to do that? These guys are absolute geniuses and they're going to take me? I don't think there's anything to be afraid of... this is like the coolest thing that's going to ever happen!”

“What if I want the next space mission?” Genesis pouted at Sephiroth. 

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

The airship landed at the Rocket Town base, which was so brand new that neither of them had even gotten a chance to visit it yet. It was absolutely state of the art, definitely not a base for combat training of any sort, but geared towards robotics, weapons development, and the space program. 

They could see the shuttle that would carry them into space looming huge over the entire base. A huge crowd of civilian spectators had come to gather to watch the unprecedented event from a minimal safe distance. It looked like the sort of thing Angeal would have liked to attend back when he was a civilian himself. A front row seat to a pinnacle of human achievement – or to watch a fiery disaster unfold. Pure, redneck fun. 

In lieu of a greeting, the director of the ground crew pointed to the bags they were carrying with them, “What's that?”

Zack shrugged, “Our stuff?”

“You can't bring anything,” And so their stuff was taken and put in storage for their return, and among the items they weren't allowed to take were their cell phones. 

Before Zack could lament the loss, they had to be thoroughly disinfected to enter the space crew's quarantine area. They both had to disrobe and allow every part of their bodies to be swabbed, including their teeth, fingernails, ears, gooch and assholes. They were then given new clothes – super dorky tighty whities, light blue jumpsuits, and white sneakers that middle aged dads normally wore. 

“Clean out my butt hole all you like, dress me like a total geek, but I feel really vulnerable without my phone,” Zack grumbled when only Angeal would hear him. 

“It won't work up there, anyway.”

“That doesn't mean I don't still want it! And I still didn't get to say goodbye to Aerith. Did you?”

“Yeah, before we got on the airship this morning. You were in the can.”

“We should have tried to go see her, it's only an hour and a half to get downtown, maybe she could have tried to meet us halfway or something. For real, what if we die? What if we never see her again?”

“You were the one who was all brave yesterday, only in space for nine days, onto see things nobody has ever seen – that was you. What changed in six hours?”

“Seeing the ship. It's like I can feel it breathing,” Zack admitted. And it was true. Even in the sanitation compound near the rocket, the air carried a vibration from the warming of the engines that felt like something huge and predatory was lying in wait. “Do you think it'll feel this way the whole time?”

One of the team of butt hole cleaners came towards them, “SOLDIERs, the space crew would like to brief you now.”

Angeal and Zack were led into a meeting room where six astronauts were seated. It felt a little vulnerable, just freshly having gotten their butt holes scrubbed and being dressed like absolute nerds. Zack imagined this is what arriving in prison must feel like. 

And like the fresh meat that he was, he found himself giving a small wave, “Hello.”

Angeal was stoic, and didn't greet anyone as he took one of the available seats. 

The space team was comprised entirely of women, plus their commander, Cid Highwind, who they already knew from Shin-Ra Army infamy. He had a reputation for being quite the dick.

“Welcome to the mission,” Cid told them, but there was nothing welcoming in his tone at all. “Do you want to be here?”

“Still deciding,” Angeal answered for both of them. 

“Well, you better want to be here quick. This team has been training around the clock for the last sixteen months. We've been in quarantine for the past two weeks to protect our health in space – and now we have a surprise passenger,” he was speaking only to Angeal, “I am Captain Cid Highwind, and you are my civilian passenger. I don't care what your SOLDIER ranking is. You do not give orders, because you are a... what?”

“A passenger,” Angeal answered, dropping the civilian part. 

“And you,” Captain Highwind said to Zack. “You're not even a passenger. You're cargo that he brought with him as far as I'm concerned.”

If it was jail, they would both have just become Highwind's bitches. Zack raised his hand a little, “Captain?”

“Permission to speak, Cargo.”

“Sir, I'm getting the impression that you didn't request us to be here... may I ask why we're being assigned to join you and your breathtaking dream team? I mean if there's one crew I'd want to spend a week in space with, it's this one!” He gave his most charming smile to all the ladies at the table. Not one of them smiled back. 

Cid was absolutely gnawing on a toothpick, “I don't need to tell you that you're the stupidest person in this room.”

“I'm used to it,” Zack shrugged. 

“Crew, let's do a roll call for our passenger and his cargo.”

There was a blonde with glasses, “Beverly. Career pilot with the Shin-Ra Air Force for eighteen years. Here to help the Captain fly us up there and back.”

There was a blonde without glasses, “Elena. Former Turk. Robotic science and engineering, here to test weapons in space.”

There was a brunette, “Dr. Ally – bioscientist. Hoping nobody gets sick but it'll be really interesting if you do.”

There was a young woman with dyed gray hair that was dark at the roots, “I'm Taylor, former Turk but I like math more.”

Then there was a brunette with glasses, “Shera, astrophysics and engineering. I'll also be the cook on this mission. Are either of you vegan?”

“No,” they both answered grimly. 

She gave them the only smile they'd seen so far, “You are for the next nine days.”

Cid gave an appreciative, warm gaze to each woman at the table, “This crew obviously isn't great at bragging about themselves, but these are the most brilliant, hard working, passionate people that have ever come through this sphincter of a company. This crew has worked their asses off to be ready for launch this morning,” Cid then pointed a finger at Zack, “And if you think for one second that your swingin' dick is gonna charm the pants off anyone at this table, you really are as dumb as you look.”

“I didn't mean anything by it,” Zack swallowed, ego fully deflated. No phone, not allowed to flirt - his identity was in shambles.

“To answer your question,” Cid let out a breath and gave a conceding shrug, “Shin-Ra wanted a SOLDIER on the crew for press. As smart as everyone here is, the media isn't interested in the narrative of an old fucker like me and a bunch of broads going to space. Once we land, there's going to be a press junket, and most of that is going to fall onto you two. The President figures having some big shot SOLDIERs on the mission to drum up more investors would help us get back out there sooner. We've got the next twelve missions already planned, and rocket fuel ain't cheap.”

“Understood,” Angeal said. “I'm sorry to be dumped onto your mission, and I'm even sorrier that we're going to be taking the spotlight from you.”

Elena huffed, “What spotlight? We've been doing interviews almost everyday for six months. Have you seen any of them?”

They hadn't. 

“Oh. You two are lovers,” Dr. Ally interjected, looking up from medical files she'd been reading on the both of them. 

The statement was quite a sudden shock, and it made Zack laugh into his elbow. Angeal didn't smile, “Yes?”

She gave a small sound of intrigue, “I'd be quite interested in the effects of zero gravity on - ”

“Get uninterested,” Cid interjected. “You have your mission mapped out, no time for... whatever you were about to say.”

Angeal shrugged, “If any SOLDIERs come with you on the next mission you'll probably, uh. Get answers.”

She nodded, and was busy writing. The next couple of hours were a blur of rules and protocol. It boiled down to the simple instruction of don't do anything, don't touch anything, don't say anything, and don't get in the crew's way. 

Cid finalized the lecture with, “If I tell you to do something, don't ask why, just do it. Every second of our time in space is planned out, and we can't waste time to cater to you or educate you.”

It felt absolutely insane to be outfitted with a space suit. It took a team of five engineers to get Angeal and Zack into the suits like toddlers being dressed by impatient parents. They didn't even know where to begin, and the best help they could offer was to cooperate and lift their arms when asked. 

It felt even more insane to be strapped into a rocket seat. It would have been absolutely impossible to get away even if they wanted to. 

“Captain Highwind?” Zack asked through his helmet's intercom. 

“What?” 

“I can't breathe. Or move. At all.”

“You don't need to. We're not goin' anywhere for a while.”

And it was true – they stayed right there, strapped to their seats so tight they could barely take in a breath – for four very long hours. And for four hours, nobody talked. The eight of them just sat there, listening to the shallow sounds of one another breathing through their helmet intercom. 

Zack couldn't quite turn his head or really see Angeal, but he was able to reach out for him. He held his hand out for a few moments, and figured Angeal couldn't see it. Before he could pull away, Angeal's gloved hand clasped his and squeezed. 

Cid and Beverly were talking to the ground crew, flipping switches and someone said something about engines – and momentarily, Zack was certain that they were all about to die. The low, growling vibration of the engines turned into earth shaking turbulence. He thought he'd been strapped tight into his seat but he suddenly wished they'd put him in even tighter, he felt like he was going to become a splat on the window.

Zack craned his neck as far as he could to look at the crew, to see if any of them looked like, panicked or something. He could see Shera just out of the corner of his eye, and her pretty face was wild, excited, and completely unafraid.

“Countdown to lift off,” someone from the ground crew announced, and he began to slowly and somewhat dispassionately count backwards from ten. 

There were many unfortunate inevitable ends in life that Angeal was prepared for. Dying in battle, probably. Mutation from mako enhancement, maybe. Or a sad end that didn't necessarily cause death - Aerith and Zack falling more in love with each other than they were with him. Or maybe some injury forcing him into early retirement and having to carve out some new identity in the world. 

Whatever finalities he faced in life, Angeal was not going to go out crying like a bitch. 

Zack however, totally was. In all the roar and chaos of the shuttle's launch pushing them away from the Earth's surface, Zack screamed bloody murder into everyone's intercom. All Angeal could possibly do was laugh at him until his throat hurt. 

Very suddenly, the roar stopped. The engines detached from the shuttle, and they experienced a graceful calm. Zack's screaming became softer sighs as he realized he was not dead. 

“Oxygen's flowing and we're stable,” Cid announced. “Crew, please report to your stations.”

“How do you – oh,” Angeal managed to figure out the harness and got up on shaking legs. He was puzzled to discover just how easy it was to get up after several hours strapped tight to a seat – and found that if he wasn't careful his feet would leave the floor entirely. He closed his eyes against a sudden wave of disoriented nausea, and leaned over to help Zack out of his seat, “You okay?”

“I either peed or came inside my spacesuit.”

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

“I really don't want to,” Aerith grimaced, but there was clearly some hesitance and room for coercion there. 

Cloud was wearing a birthday hat balanced on the largest of his spikes, and inched the shot glass closer to her with the very tip of his finger, “It's my birthday and I want all my friends fucked up.”

“I am fucked up! I've had like five already and I have a long train ride home.”

“You can stay with us,” Cloud offered. 

Sephiroth's expression darkened from the other side of Cloud and he shook his head at her. She grinned, “Thanks but I really have had enough – ugh, this phone.”

“Who keeps calling you?” Cloud asked, easily throwing back both shots in an instant. He held his chest and looked mildly regretful.

“It's some weird number. It's called like twenty times tonight.”

“Google it.”

“I did, nothing.”

“Then answer it. Stand your ground!”

“No, it's probably just some stupid telemarketing thing.”

“Let me answer as Gordon Ramsay.”

The number was calling again, so Aerith smacked the phone against his chest, “Yes, yes, yes, do it, do it!”

He composed himself. When he was channeling Gordon Ramsay he was better at quick comebacks that were usually directed at Sephiroth, so answering a phone call and opening the conversation would be a unique challenge. In his rather drunken state, the only thing he could think of was, “Hallo? You call this a chimichanga? Chimi-chuck it in the bin!”

“Cloud? Happy Birthday! Stop doing Gordon Ramsay and put Aerith on!”

Cloud nearly dropped the phone trying to put it in her hands, “It's Zack!”

“What!? Zack?” she cried, standing up with a screech of her chair against the floor.

“Can you hear me okay?”

“Yes! But wait, let me go somewhere quieter!” she cried and ran towards the exit. Cloud followed her, snatching Sephiroth's beer from his hand on the way out the door. 

They emerged from the bar into the warm summer night air, and she was flushed and happy as she put Zack on speaker phone, “How are you? Are you doing alright?”

“Yeah! We only get one phone call, we've been trying to -”

“I know! I didn't know it was you, I thought it was like that stupid call I always get about my car's warranty -”

Zack was laughing, “I didn't even remember your phone number! Angeal had to think of it, I'm like lost without my brain – they took my cell phone away! I forgot how to divide!”

“Why do you need to divide numbers in space?”

“They gave me a package of Oreos, I wanted to know how many I could have each day – I had to get some paper and a pen!”

“I miss you so much! You feel too far away!” She was bright pink and bouncing in place on the sidewalk, “Angeal? Can you hear me, too?”

“Yep, I'm here.”

“I love you!” she all but yelled into her phone. 

“Love you!” Zack told her, and Angeal simultaneously echoed a much softer, “You too.” 

“How is it up there?” Cloud took the chance to ask between sips of Sephiroth's beer, “What do you eat? How do you sleep? How do you go to the bathroom? Have you seen aliens? How do you -”

“Cloud,” Angeal interrupted. “We'll tell you everything in a couple days when we get back. It's been pretty... awesome.”

Sephiroth had curiously followed them outside and was listening in, “Hey guys.”

“Hey Seph – thanks for sending us up here,” Angeal called to him. 

“Seriously?”

“Yeah, it's been so cool!” Zack agreed, “The crew is great! They were mean to us at first but I think they just had to be trapped in a tiny room with me for several days to get what I'm really about. Now we're all best friends!”

“Of course! Everyone you meet becomes your friend!” Aerith told him. “Everybody loves you!”

“Like a dog,” Sephiroth added. Nobody seemed to hear him, so he leaned close to Cloud, “Like a dog, right?”

Cloud gave him a pity laugh and a small kiss on the chin, “Let's go away and let them talk.”

Aerith took them off speaker phone and sighed as she was given some privacy, “Well, I guess I don't have a lot to say other than I miss you, and I can't wait to hear everything.”

Zack let out a breath, “When we took off, it was like crazy. And I was like... if I die right now I'm going to have the worst ever regret of not being able to say goodbye to you. They took my phone, I thought I had more time -”

She couldn't stand it, “Zack! Stop! You had an insane morning when you left, I get it! You were going to space! Fucking space, okay!?”

If Aerith was dropping f-bombs it meant she'd been drinking, and Angeal and Zack had to laugh together. Zack let out a happy sound, “Well, when I'm no longer in fucking space, I owe you.”

“You owe me for making me come to this party by myself... I love Cloud to death, but this party's just typical SOLDIER sausage fest. I'm like the only chick here. And Sephiroth's so annoying sometimes! It's like 'Derr let me tell dry jokes and glare all night because that passes for a personality when you're a big tall jerk who's full of himself!'”

“Please keep talking shit...” Zack melted against the communications console with a dreamy sigh. 

“Wrap it up,” Cid finally told them when he couldn't take it anymore.

Angeal peeled Zack off the console, “Babe, we're gonna have to hang up. Three more days. Go tell Sephiroth he's not funny and nobody's afraid of him.”

“I will. Bye guys! Can the crew hear me?”

“Yeah, this is a pretty small room.”

“Thanks for taking care of them, everybody!” she said to them. And to Angeal and Zack, she said, “See you soon. Love you.”

“Love you,” they both said, and they disconnected. 

“What the hell ever happened to good old fashioned relationships?” Cid asked everyone and noone. “I must be gettin' old. Everyone's swingin' all kinds of ways these days.” 

“Before you get too high up on that conservative horse - we've lived for in sin for ten years,” Shera reminded him. 

“I have a girlfriend,” Elena chimed in. 

Dr. Ally shrugged, “I've had two husbands. Just not at the same time.”

“I've had two boyfriends at the same time... but they didn't know about each other,” Taylor offered, then looked at Angeal. “Is it complicated?”

“Not at all,” was all Angeal would say about it. 

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Landing was just as dramatic as taking off, but after nine days with the crew, Zack wasn't even a fraction as terrified. It was loud, yes. It was shaky, sure. They were all but nose diving back into the atmosphere and plummeting towards the ground at a degree usually reserved for roller coasters, but Captain Cid Highwind and Co-Captain Beverly were pros and Zack trusted them with his life. 

Sure enough, in fifteen minutes, they were back on the ground at the Rocket Town base. 

“Our first space mission is complete,” Cid announced amid the sound of all the crew cheering in their seats. It took another two hours before the shuttle was completely shut down and they were able to open the doors. 

“I weigh too much,” Zack grumbled, picked up his feet and dropping them heavily as he followed the crew to the debriefing chamber. 

To their surprise, the President was waiting for them, “Congratulations, Captain Highwind! You really did it!”

“Thank you,” Cid greeted him with a handshake, and then an impersonal, back clapping hug. “I couldn't have done it without my crew.”

“My favorite General!” the President bypassed every woman in line and went straight for Angeal, “How was the trip? Tell me over dinner! I'm sitting right between you and the Captain, I'm sure you could use a real meal after eating freeze dried bricks all week - I've made all the arrangements! We've got CNN, we've got Fox News, we've got every Wutai network, we've even got those sons of bitches over at -”

“No.”

The President paused, “Is everything alright?”

“I've spent a week looking down at this planet, and contemplating my place on it. And while I do thank you for the experience I absolutely refuse to do any press “about it. You have seven people here who are experts, and can do such a better job than I can about how it was done, and what they learned up there.”

“Nobody gives a shit about that! We want to know about the human side of the experience! What you ate, how you slept, how you used the bathroom! And most importantly, when we can start taking vacations up there! That's what the investors want to know.”

“Zack and I are going home,” Angeal told him. “When we come back to work next week, we can set up a meeting to discuss the experience with whoever. But we're not doing any press. Let this crew speak for themselves.”

The photo of Captain Highwind and his all female crew emerging from the debriefing chamber became instantly iconic. Cid was all rugged, unshaven edges, and the girls were all serious, no makeup, hair in buns, but each one devastatingly beautiful with the swagger of pure victory. 

Angeal and Zack would be in no pictures, and the record of their participation in the flight would be classified as secret research into space tourism. Could two completely unprepared, untrained people go into space? Sure. But they also would be completely and totally emotionally and physically wiped out by the experience. 

They collected their bags, and walked with an awkward heaviness from the space exploration terminal into the lobby of the Rocket Town base to wait for their airship back to Midgar. They were shocked to find a small group of familiar faces there waiting for them. Genesis, Rufus, Lazard, Cloud and Sephiroth - it was the end of the fucking Wizard of Oz. 

“Surprise!” Aerith yelled, coming at them both with open arms. 

“Hey...” Angeal sleepily greeted her with a hug, and opened one arm to let Zack in on it. “You didn't have to come all the way here.”

Aerith crushed a kiss onto each of them before grinning, “We all wanted to.”

“Save the reunion for the airship,” Genesis complained loudly. “We've been here for like six hours.”

“We've been in space for nine days!” Zack countered, taking his two favorite people and pulling them as close as possible. 

Once they seemed momentarily satisfied with PDA, Sephiroth stood up with a stretch, “Let's get some food for the flight and get the hell out of here.”

Cloud came closer to them to hug Zack once Aerith was through with him, “We want to hear everything! But mostly – how did you use the bathroom?”

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

A/N

Hey tyrannosaurus_rose! I loved the prompt for space exploration, I hope you had fun! I kept trying to write about like... what actually happened in space and for some reason it just got really Aliens-y and I was struggling a lot with that because it was like the tone totally changed LOL. So I decided to focus on the friendships and relationships of everyone involved, I hope it's not too close to canon!


End file.
